Rebecca J. Stout

Aquatic Education: Fishing for Answers

Sixth-grade students (N = 2,916) attending 127 Missouri public schools were surveyed (86% response) to detennine their behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge about fishing and the aquatic environment. Data were collected using a stratified random sampling procedure. Most students enjoyed fishing (82%), although a few students did not want to fish again (7%). Student scores reflected a need for more education about aquatic ecology (67%), aquatic resource management (62%), and water topics (45%). An analysis of variance indicated students' knowledge scores significantly differed for gender,...